NSS asked to account for over 1.3 million cedis

The Auditor General’s 2012 report has cited authorities at the Ghana National Service Secretariat of several acts of misappropriation including the payment of over 1.3 million cedis without proper documentation. The authorities have therefore been asked to produce documents to cover the payment of over 1.3 million cedis or prepare to refund the amount. It was also found that the NSS had overpaid 49,000 in personal allowances. The Auditor-General’s report which is before Parliament will be referred to the Public Accounts Committee where the MPs will invite officials to answer the allegations leveled against them. The report also revealed that imprest amounting to 409,000 given to members of staff to run programmes could not be accounted for. The litany of allegations continues with the secretariat being cited for breaking procurement rules after it awarded a 30,000 dollar contract for the printing of T-shirts without opening to tender. The Auditor-General is questioning the secretariat’s why they decided to adopt sole sourcing in the purchase of goods and services. The National Service Secretariat is responsible for posting tertiary graduates to do a compulsory one-year service required of all citizens of Ghana who are 18 years and above. The program which began in 1973 is to encourage communal service and a spirit of volunteerism among Ghana’s youths. This year, about 71,189 graduates have been deployed nationwide to undertake their national service.

Source:Myjoyonline.com

EC begins transfer of votes in district assemblies

The Electoral Commission (EC) has begun a special exercise to transfer votes of prospective candidates in the upcoming District Assembly and Unit Committee Elections in electoral areas and units other than where they registered as voters. According to the EC the exercise is to enable the contestants to file their nominations and contest the elections in those Electoral Areas. In a press release signed by Amadu Sulley, Deputy Chairman in charge of operations at the EC, says prospective candidate who wants to transfer their vote for the purpose of contesting the aforementioned elections must do so not later than October 13, 2014. As per the 1994 District Assembly Elections Act 473, “elections to a district assembly shall be held every four years, except that the elections shall be held at least six months away from parliamentary elections. According to the press release, all applications for transfer of votes must be made in person to the District Officer of the Commission in the District where the applicant seeks to contest the election. The release further warns contestants that, once the transfer of vote is affected, it therefore becomes permanent and shall remain the new polling station of the applicant. Meanwhile, government has released over fifty-five million Ghana cedis to the Electoral Commission (EC) for the conduct of the 2014 District Assembly Elections.

Source:Citifmonline.com

Center for National Culture cries for support

Despite the role of the performing arts industry in Ghana, many still have erroneous perception towards the industry, making it difficult for players to make strides. Many Ghanaians especially the corporate world in the northern sector are yet to factor out the importance of the performing arts in the society, hence turning a blind eye to any proposals for sponsorship coming from institution mandated to promote performing arts in the country. Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Northern regional Programmes Officer of the Center for National Culture, Antoinette D. Letsa revealed that several proposals submitted by the center to the corporate institutions in the northern region have not seen the light of the day. This she said has resulted to the woeful performance of the northern region in any national event, since the center has limited resources to finance its activities. According Antoinette, the region could not perform creditably at the recent National Senior High School (SHS) Drama festival (NADRAFEST 2014) as a result of inadequate funding. The festival which was organized by the National Commission on Culture in conjunction with Roverman Production, National theater of Ghana and Ghana Education Service under the auspices of the ministry of tourism and creative arts, is part of efforts to promote performing arts among SHS students in the country.  The northern region which was represented by Ghana Senior High School could not lift the ultimate prize since what Madam Antoinette described as financial deficit coupled with the lack of confidence and inadequate preparation towards the event. She added that as am ateur s who have never mounted a national platform were also jittery on the state of the art set at the national theater in the nation’s capital. She however hopes the region will performs well in future events. Madam Antoinette therefore appealed to individuals’ organizations and corporate institutions to support activities of the center to promote the cultural heritage of the region.      

Source:Saaka Alhassan

Soil Scientist expresses worry over the neglect of urban Agriculture

Prof. Dr. Bend Marshner, a Soil Scientist at the Geographical Institute in Germany has raised concerns over the absolute neglect of urban Agriculture in the West African sub-region.  He said much of Agricultural research and aid work in the sub-region has been focusing on rural agriculture. According to him, urban Agriculture is becoming increasingly more important since consumers in the cities are demanding for more vegetables which need to be produce closer to them because they perished during transportation. Prof. Dr. Marshner was speaking to a team of researchers in West Africa at the opening ceremony of the UrbanFoodPlus Summer School at the University for Development Studies on how to enhance food security in sub-region. UrbanFoodPlus is an African-German partnership aimed to enhance resource use efficiency in urban and peri-urban Agriculture for improved food security in West African cities, financed by the German Ministry of Education and Research. It is a seven million Euro project which is a five-year activity, brought together PhD students, post-doctoral researchers and professors from four German universities and partnered with various West African institutions. Prof. Dr. Bend Marshner also stated that urban vegetable growers depend on wastewater during dry season due to scarcity. This he said poses consumers to health hazards, hence the need to developing simple treatment technologies to engage in all year-round farming.  The summer school will  dedicate a day to assess the potential of biochar, a type of charcoal produce at very low oxygen levels to improve soil quality, reduce greenhouse gas emission and improve the water holding capacity of soils.

Source:Saaka Alhassan

Tamale mayor lives for The Hague

The Mayor of Tamale, Abdul-Rahman Hanan Gundadow is in The Hague, Nethelands for a Six day official visit at the invitation of the Dutch Government to explore further areas of collaboration and support for the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme in Tamale.  The Government of The Netherlands through their Embassy in Accra and the Government of Ghana have embarked on a multi-annual programme in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme, focusing on integrated urban water and sanitation in selected urban centers including Tamale with an indicative budget of 200 million Euros up to 2020. In a press release signed by the Public Affairs Director of the Assembly, Issah Musah Salifu stated that the overall objective of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme is to among others contribute to the realization of children’s rights to survival and development through promotion of the sector and support to national programmes that increase equitable and sustainable access to, and use of, safe water and basic sanitation services, and promote improved hygiene in communities. Whilst in the Nethelands, the Mayor will advocate for more funding for WASH programmes in Tamale as part of the larger measures by Government to achieve the Millennium Development Goal for water and sanitation.  Abdul-Rahman Hanan Gundadow will also use the visit to woo investors and other Dutch businesses to Tamale as part of efforts to grow the economy of Tamale.

Source:Saaka Alhassan